10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 1996 Facts
5. More Than 14 Minutes Passed Before The First Elimination
One of the worst things that can happen to a Rumble match is for the ring to get too clogged up. You need some eliminations at reasonable intervals to keep the crowd's attention. Additionally, when the ring fills up with 12, 14, or 16 guys, it gets harder for any substantial action to take place. Maxing out at 10 or so wrestlers seems about right.
The 1996 Rumble match set a record by having the first nine wrestlers enter, before even one was tossed. Usually one of the first three entrants gets the heave-ho early as a bit of a tone-setter, but in 1996, the suspense was dragged out.
The first man to be eliminated was the number three entrant, Bob Backlund. He lasted more than 12 minutes before being tossed out by the number nine entry, Yokozuna. That's more than 14 minutes before the first elimination took place.